Ashdown heads: different shapes?

[magee]

Hello,
I wonder if anybody out there knows why Ashdown heads seem to come in two widths. I've just bought a second hand ABM 300. I'm delighted with it, it has just the sound I [currently think I] am looking for.
But it seems to be wider than many others.

Most appear to look like this:


The one I just bought looks like this:

Does anyone know why this is?
I'm very happy with the amp, just a bit curious,
thanks,
Matthew

[geoffbyrne]

I think the one you bought has an extended faceplate which fits neatly into a 19" rack. The standard item needs the addition of lugs.

G.

[thinman]

If the ABM is as per the MAG then the head from the 2 x 10" combo is wider than that from the 1 x15" as the on the 2 x 10" the rivers are side-by-side. I wonder if yours came from a combo and was put in a sleeve?

[MB1]

MB1.
I was looking at this amp myself!...Its the same size as my Early Evo 500 (Which i do know was Resleeved/ from a combo).
so i would agree!,I too think it has been resleeved.

[gjones]

The ABM 900 comes in the wider size. Are you sure you've got the ABM 300 there?

[url="http://www.ashdownmusic.com/bass/section.asp?section=abm"]http://www.ashdownmusic.com/bass/section.asp?section=abm[/url]

[MythSte]

I think it was Ashdown that used to sell "wideboy" versions of their amps. Im not sure if it was purely aesthetic or to fit into amp racks. No biggie!

[Ian Savage]

I have a sneaking idea with the MAG range that Ashdown widened them to allow more space for cooling in the chassis - they originally came out in the narrower format without a fan (apparently the 'magnesium alloy' casing would disipate enough heat on its own), after they all started burning out they came out with a fan, when they carried on burning out they made the casing wider. Don't know if they started doing the same with the ABM range at the same time for the same reasons (as I'm fairly sure the ABMs had nowhere near the failure rate of the early-mid period MAGs), it's more likely that it was to make it more easy to rackmount them.

[Protium]

I have this "wide" version too, I think they must have had surplus heads originally destined to be fitted into a combo. It is too wide to be rack mounted.